No playoff wins since 2017, five straight one-and-done trips to the postseason, getting blown out in most of them. That’s what the Pittsburgh Steelers are at this point. And now, entering the offseason after another embarrassing exit from the playoffs, this time against the AFC North-rival Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers are entering a period of uncertainty.
Head coach Mike Tomlin will return for a 19th season at the helm of the Steelers; that much is clear. After that, though, questions at QB, on the coaching staff, and at various other positions loom over the Black and Gold entering the offseason.
For former NFL defensive end and current CBS Sports analyst Leger Douzable, the Steelers need to ask themselves one simple but important question this offseason: What is the goal?
Appearing on CBS Sports HQ Spotlight earlier in the week, Douzable laid out a long list of things the Steelers need to figure out this offseason. But the biggest one is figuring out what the goal of team-building moving forward is and executing it.
“I would pose this question: what is the goal? You’re the Pittsburgh Steelers, right? Synonymous with winning championships, but they’ve been bounced outta the playoffs, as you alluded to, B-Mac [Bryant McFadden] for six straight postseason plays, believe it’s eight straight years without a playoff win. And if you’re Mike Tomlin, you’ve had success to your own detriment,” Douzable said of the Steelers entering the offseason, according to video via CBS Sports on YouTube. “And I say that because when you look at the totality of the rosters, right, he squeezed every bit of talent out of this roster. But they have not had the trigger guy since Ben Roethlisberger left. They didn’t have a succession plan.
“And that’s why we are having this discussion about the Pittsburgh Steelers currently. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result is literally the definition of insanity. So if you feel like Mike Tomlin is a guy, get him a trigger guy that you guys won’t get bounced in the first round.”
Since the post-Ben Roethlisberger days, the Steelers have always had visions of competing for a Super Bowl, but they’ve had to transition in a major way. That’s just a fact of the matter, and sometimes it takes time. Yes, some teams have succession plans in place following a franchise quarterback, and that transition can be quite smooth. Look no further than the Green Bay Packers or even the Kansas City Chiefs.
But the Steelers didn’t do that, and they’re still trying to figure it out. In the meantime, they tried to lean on the defensive side of the football and win that way in today’s NFL. It’s bold and worked at times in the regular season, but they’re just overmatched in the post-season.
So, it’s back to the drawing board because what the Steelers have been doing the last few years isn’t working, and you can’t keep banging your head on the wall.
To the Steelers’ credit, this offseason, they tried to mix it up and felt they found some intriguing answers at quarterback with Russell Wilson and Justin Fields. That worked for much of the season, as Fields went 4-2 as a starter, and Wilson had the Steelers’ offense among the 10 highest-scoring units in football entering December.
Then it all fell apart and now the Steelers are back at square one at the most important position in sports.
They have to figure that out first and foremost, but after that, they still need to fix the offensive line and get the talent they’ve added to play better. They also need to figure out the running game with Najee Harris entering free agency.
Defensively, struggles in coverage, a lack of consistent pressure, and living and dying with turnovers have cost them. There’s a lot to get fixed this offseason.
Douzable’s number one priority, though, is figuring out the goal in the Steel City right now.
“My question is, what is the true goal for the Pittsburgh Steelers? Because they keep doing the same thing and expecting a different result,” Douzable said.
Everyone seems to be asking that question after yet another playoff exit. The Steelers feel like a rudderless ship right now, one that has a strong captain at the top in Tomlin, who can navigate the waters and get the most out of the Steelers in the regular season. But then, in the postseason, the storm swallows them up.
Granted, some of the Steelers’ issues are at Tomlin’s feet due to the culture and the alleged lack of accountability in the locker room. Lacking talent in certain areas can also fall on Tomlin, as he has a big say in what the Steelers do.
